THE JACK AND Jill Foundation has said it has been receiving complaints for the last two weeks about an art installation, in the Stephen’s Green Centre in Dublin, which is part of a campaign to raise funds for children with brain damage.
‘Crackling Rosie’ caused a bit of a stir when she appeared in the shopping centre two weeks ago, with some people suggesting the art did not show compassion for animals.
Rosie is one of 100 art pieces in a ‘Pig Parade’ across Dublin that will be auctioned off to raise money for the charity. She was designed by artist Niall O’Loughlin.
His inspiration for the design was a memory of a party he was at with friends, where a real pig on a spit was accidentally dropped on the floor and chaos ensued. The pig in question was affectionately referred to thereafter as ‘Crackling Rosie’ by his circle of friends.
In a statement today, the charity’s CEO said he would hasted to point out that Rosie is not a real pig, but rather a fibre glass model, painted and designed by the artist.
I know from talking to Niall that his intention was never to upset anyone, but rather to get people thinking about his unique interpretation, to promote discussion and hopefully to raise money for the 300 children with life limiting and life threatening conditions we support with home nursing care up and down the country. This fundraiser is very timely given our recent cut in lottery funding from €75,000 to €30,000
He said the charity is disappointed that some people are upset about this piece but appealed to the public not to let it put them off enjoying the rest of the Pig Parade on display at 52 locations.
Here are some of the less controversial pigs on offer:
All of the pigs will be auctioned off in four weeks with no reserve and can be found on this map.
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